What is Water Weight?

Weight loss is seldom straightforward and while it comes easy to some people, others have to deal with the frustration of not seeing that number on the scale go down. Then when you do lose weight, it could be the case that it was only been water weight. But what exactly does that mean and what can you do to ensure you’re actually losing fat?

WHAT IS WATER WEIGHT?

First things first: There is nothing inherently wrong with water weight. In fact, up to two-thirds of your weight is due to water. The percentage could vary a bit among genders and body types, but water still represents a substantial portion of a person’s weight, across the board.

Now, in addition to the water that’s already an integral part of your body, additional fluid can collect in your tissues, causing them to swell. Whenever you feel bloated, this is due to such water retention. The weight gain that comes with it is called water weight.

Four SIGNS THAT YOU’RE ONLY LOSING WATER WEIGHT

Real weight loss consists of losing body fat so it’s important to recognize the signs you’re only losing water weight. Here’s what to look out for:

You’re losing weight too quickly. There are several factors that could increase a person’s water weight from one day to the next: consuming too much sodium, menstrual cycles, certain medications, medical conditions, not consuming enough magnesium and eating too many refined carbs. Because these circumstances can vary from one day to the next, you could notice a four or five-pound difference between daily weigh-ins. With help from Slim For Life, it’s possible to lose three to five pounds, in a week outside of any potential water weight fluctuation.

You haven’t really changed the way you eat. To lose one pound of fat, you need to reduce your caloric intake by 3,500 calories. If you haven’t implemented any lifestyle changes, and just noticed you lost a few pounds overnight, you probably only lost water weight.

Your clothes fit the same. When you lose fat, you lose inches of your body. This means that regardless of what the scale says, your regular clothes would start feeling a bit loose around you.

Extreme weight fluctuations. It’s normal for your weight to fluctuate slightly, but if you weigh yourself every day and you see significant fluctuations from one day to the next, a portion of that weight loss is likely due to water weight.